Bud Carlson Academy

Bud Carlson Academy operates as an one-room-style high school in Rochester, New Hampshire, overseen by Rochester School District. Current enrollment sits at 96 students spanning grades 9 through 12. That puts it 81% smaller than the typical public school in New Hampshire, which averages around 496 students.

Rochester School District comprises 10 schools with combined enrollment of 3,778 students; Bud Carlson Academy is among them.

Demographically, Bud Carlson Academy records that 89% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority. The remainder looks like 6% multiracial, 5% Hispanic. That composition is broadly in line with Strafford County as a whole.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 5 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 19.2:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 11.2:1, putting Bud Carlson Academy higher than the state norm the norm. An estimated 40% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is north of Strafford County's rate of about 26%.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Strafford County) shows that the typical household earns roughly $88,570 per year, roughly 39% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Bud Carlson Academy is one of 39 public schools in Strafford County (combined enrollment of about 13,978 students).

The closest other public school is Spaulding High School, roughly 0.2 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The campus sits in a suburban setting.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count climbed 75%: 55 students in 2018 compared to 96 in 2025. The White share of enrollment ticked down from 96% to 89% over that span. Class-load math has rose: from 10.6:1 in 2018 to 19.2:1 in 2025.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.